I’m going to start my review by saying… DAMN! It’s been nearly 3 months since my last actual review, but the semester from hell -in which much whiskey was consumed, much writing was done, but none of it actually made it to the blog- is finally over. So I’m going to kick off my reinvigorated efforts with a whiskey that completely knocked my socks off. Woodford Reserve (the original) was a beautiful whiskey, but the one drawback for me was that I got a horrible metallic finish at the very end. I was hoping to get all the good of Woodford Reserve original without that terrible finish, what I got was so far beyond that. But, as I’m fond of saying, “less talk more rock”. Continue reading

Thanks to our friends over at Angel’s Envy (click here to go to their facebook and like them), I read that today, March 27th, 2012, is the first ever World Whiskey Day. Since it bears a resemblance to this very blog title, and since it IS whiskey oriented, I thought I should write up a little piece about our favorite caramel colored liquid and its day in the sun (or in the dark cabinet since the sun will prematurely age the fine liquid).

When I started poking around the net to get some info about the genesis of a day dedicated to our favorite libation, I came across a story on http://www.scotsman.com , that lay the story pretty bare. A college student by the name of Blair Bowman went looking for World Whiskey Day after learning of World Gin Day which was a huge hit in Spain. Upon finding out that there wasn’t one, he quickly bought up the virtual real estate associated with the day, and set about starting a whiskey empire with his own personal holiday as his flagship. Click here to read the article from Scotsman.com (which is a fine piece of writing if I do say so myself). I will do my very best to post a review or two this evening. St. Patrick’s Day saw me sick and unable to imbibe, so I have a few bottles left without review.

Overall, I found myself as surprised as Mr. Bowman when learning that there wasn’t a whiskey holiday, even if St. Patrick’s day (rather insensitively some would say – I not being among them) is an unofficial one, but if this does even half as well as Bowman hopes it to do, then we should have a really exciting addition to our drinking schedules. Either way, I look forward to seeing how this whole thing pans out.

But until then… Happy World Whiskey Day from Whiskey World Tour!

Slainte,

Chuck

p.s. Special thanks to our friends over at http://boozedancing.wordpress.com for the repost and the kind words. Great members of the community and knowledgeable folks all around. I learn something every time I read an article. (check em out)

Milestones are all about reminding yourself about the journey it’s taken to get to a certain point. My first 1000 views have been a blast, getting to know new people, learning new things, and drinking new whiskeys all along the way. Here’s to my next 1000, and for those of you who read and comment, thank you for acknowledging me, even if it is only by spending the time to look at the words I string together on the page.

As someone who isn’t a huge fan of the standard Johnnie Walker – Black Label, I was understandably cautious when purchasing a bottle of the Double Black. I always found Black Label a bit too smokey and the finish a bit too harsh, and since Black Label is the standard fair for Johnnie Walker, I was admittedly a little turned off by the brand. Thank God I looked past that prejudiced and bought the bottle of Double Black. The glass was decidedly less harsh, and while the smoky quality was still very present throughout the glass, once the ice melted a bit, and the alcohol truly opened up, it was an enjoyable experience to be certain.

The box is actually a good looking accent piece when sitting next to the original box. The wood grain makes it pop rather well, and once you pull out the bottle and see the smoked glass it sets it apart from the traditional Black Label in only good ways.

The burn at the outset is pretty bold, however the finish is where this whiskey really shines. It wouldn’t be a black label without that signature smoke on the follow through, however the smoke is mellowed by a heavy wood flavor that fills your whole mouth rather beautifully. JW does label this a limited release, but I cant think that after the whiskey community gets a taste of this exceptional dram, that they will allow anything short of a regular spot in the JW lineup. Overall I rate the experience pretty high, I would buy another bottle where I wouldn’t buy another bottle of regular Black Label, and would recommend it to anyone who either loves or hates the original.

*note. All methods reflect two fingers of alcohol in a standard 8 oz. rocks glass

Taking cues from the unparalleled flavors of Johnnie Walker Black Label, Master Blender Jim Beveridge struck out to craft a blend that would take the intensity of Black to unexplored territory. He started on Scotland’s vast shores, rediscovering the powerful west coast and subtle east coast scotches integral to today’s world-renowned Black Label.

After hand-selecting a number of whiskies defined by hints of smoldering charcoal, crisp ash and burnt timber, we barreled our blend to mature in deep-charred old oak casks. The result is an unquestionably smokier, more intense experience, but with deep, dark roots in a rich blend that changed the world: Johnnie Walker Black Label. Simply put, it is Black, amplified.